Photos

Fener, Balat and the Golden Horn



Take a journey through the neighborhoods surrounding Golden Horn. It will particularly attracts with its fish restaurants located in renovated historical buildings.



The Golden Horn forms a natural harbour at the very mouth of the Bosphorus, and divides Istanbul’s European Side into two sections, separating the Historical Peninsula from Beyoğlu to the north. Today, the Turkish name of the Golden Horn, Haliç indicates both the body of water itself and many neighborhoods in the vicinity. This area has always been an important center of fishing, agriculture, and transportation. In honor of the fact that it has provided abundance since its first settlement, the area is known as the Golden Horn. Golden Horn particularly attracts with its fish restaurants located in renovated historical buildings.

Fener
The neighborhood of Fener has the honor of belonging to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is located within the district of Fatih, on the western side of the Golden Horn. Balat, the neighborhood adjacent to Fener, is as old as Istanbul’s history itself. The area was first known as Fanarion, after the most important lighthouse in the Golden Horn, which was located here. A wide variety of historical churches, mosques and houses are located in Fener. The Patriarchate is still located here, and, as a result, the area is an important centre for the Orthodox Church.

Balat
Like Fener, the neighborhood of Balat is also in the UNESCO World Heritage List. From Byzantine times onward, this neighborhood tended to be the area of choice for Istanbul's Jewish community. The areas architectural monuments, churches, synagogues, public baths, and markets preserve their rich historical quality even today. It is almost as though an historical picture of Istanbul over the past 2000 years spreads out before you.